Flask for torpedoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR HUTCHINSON CHASE AND HARRY LUTHER BOESCZ-I, OF WASHINGTON, DIS TRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS T0 GOVERNMENT 01E THE UNITED STATES. I

FLASK For. TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed March 22, 1919. Serial No. 284,471.

T 0 all whom it may concern e it known that we, ARTHUR H. CHASE and I-IARRYL, BonsoH, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of IVashington, District of- Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flasks for T orpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates generally to flasks for torpedoes and more particularly to air flasks thereof. I I

Heretofore the flask of atorpedo has comprised a hollow steel cylinder of unitary structure which Contained both the air flask and water compartment. On the interior wall of the flask annular shoulders were provided and against ground joints on these shoulders flask heads were seated and bolted or otherwise mechanically secured in place. These flask heads were removable and were usually domed outwardly.

The air flask is charged with compressed air under a high degree of pressure and the flask head of-the after end is provided with a suitable opening for connection to the outlet pipe. In all designs this flask head is subjected to more or less strain and serious difliculty has been experienced by reason of thecompressed air leaking around this flask head. This difficulty has taken a variety of forms but the most serious of these has been occasioned by the leaking compressed air building up pressure in the water compartment and this pressure eventually forces the water into the combustion chamber. The

effect is that of a cold shot which greatly interferes with the proper functioning of the power and control plant and in some instances completely paralyzes the entire plant. 7 It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide the air flask of a torpedo with a'flask head, in the after end thereof of such a nature as to eliminate any possibility of leakage and at the same time providein this flask head sufficient strength and rigidity to support any and all of the desired appurtenances.

Another object is to provide in connection with a flask head such asoutlined above a flask proper so constructed that the whole may be easily and cheaply manufactured by drawing, machining, or otherapproved'me chanical process.

Another object is to provide a form of construction of air flasks and heads which will result in a saving in the total weights of these parts.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds and reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specificatiotn.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the torpedo flask as assembled and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on a larger scale showing in detail the water compartment and air flask structure as they appear just prior to assembling.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the flask of the torpedo comprises two sections, the air flask 1 and the watercompartment 2. Both the flask and the water compartment in their general structure are preferably of the usual hollow cylindrical form. The flask head 3 is formed integral with the after-end of the air flask and gradually increases in cross sectional area from a point near the wall of the air flask until it merges into this wall. It is domed outwardly and may be provided with. an aperture as at 3' for the outlet pipe. By virtue of this integral construction, the flask head besides positively preventing any possibility of leakage possesses therequisite strength and rigidity to support the fuel pot or like appurtenances. It is to be understood that the outlet pipe, fuel pot and like appurtenances form no part of the present invention but are referred to merely to better illustrate the capacity of the flask head when constructed in accordance with the present invention. r I

Near the after end of the air flask its outer periphery is reduced and screw threaded and shoulders 41 and -5 are formed. The shoulder 4 is provided with an annular recess 6 having its upper wall inclined as at 6'. The portion of the water compartment adjacent the air flask has its inner periphery correspondingly screw threaded and is also provided with shoulders as at 7 and 8. The shoulder 7 is formed with a flange 9 having an inclined wall 9' adapted to engage with the inclined wall 6' of the recess 6.

In assembling the flask, the water com: partment is threaded upon the air flask so that the shoulders 4 and 5 abut respectively. against the shoulders 7 and '8. The flange 9 then nests within the recess 6, the inclined walls of the flange and recess serving to draw the parts together into their proper relation and thereby maintain the stream lines of the torpedo. The inclined walls of theflange add strength to the threaded part and prevent the spreading of this part of the water compartment from the internal air pressure.

In order to seal the water compartment, one or more convolutions of the threads on the internal screw threaded portion thereof are omitted and an annular groove is cut therein. The walls of thisgroove and the Walls of the adjacent threads on the reduced portion of the air flask define a packing chamber 10. This chamber 10 communicates with the exterior by means of one or more threaded apertures as at ll and through these apertures lead packing 12 maybe introduced and compressed and the apertures are closed by suitable plugs. If desired, a lead gasket 13 may be interposed between the shoulders 5 and 8. In this manner the water compartment is efl'ectively sealed;

In a design of torpedo in which the water and fuel charges are carried otherwise than within a compartment formed within the air flask and sealed by the flask head retaining the air charge, the improved air flask with integral head may be employed for the pur ose of reducing the Weight of the flask t e improved construction being much lighter in weight than the design of fixed or removable heads hitherto employed. Such saving in weight may be utilized to permit an increase in the weight of explosive carried in the head of the torpedo, (the forward head, in such case, being made integral with the flask) or for the purpose of increasing the reserve buoyancy of the torpedo, or for any other useful purpose which may be accomplished by a reduction in the weights of parts of the torpedo.

It is to be noted that a torpedo flask constructed in accordance with the present invention admits of practical and economical manufacture and at the sametime provides the integral flask head with the advantages inherent therein,-as above outlined, and preserves and maintains the strength of the flask and the streamlike lines of the torpedo.

By wayof illustration, the air flask with the flask head integral, as previously described may be manufactured by the drawing porcess well-known in the art. In this manner the finished air flask and its integral after end flask head with the inherent advantageous properties, such as strength, rigidity, and the elimination of any possibility of leakage, are completed in 'a single and comparatively inexpensive operation. This feature of the invent-ion alone presents a very marked advance in the art, as the production of the air flask structures hitherto used, involved several expensive operations, one of the principal ones being ac- 1 the work required, made necessary the employment of trained and specially skilled workmen, the utilization of special tools and machinery and the expenditure of a considerable amount of time. Each of these factors are in themselves very expensive and tend to make the total expense involved enormous. Moreover the efliciency of the product in the most favorable instances never even remotely approaches that attained by the present invention.

What we, claim is;

1; An improvement in flasks for torpedoes comprising an air flask, a flask head formed integral with said air flask at its after end and a water compartment adapted to be secured to said air flask.

2. An improvemenet in flasks for torpedoes comprising an air flask having its outer periphery at its after end reduced and threaded, a flask head formed integral with said air flask at its after end and a water compartment having its inner periphery adjacent the air flask threaded for engagement with the reduced and threaded after end of the air flask.

3. An improvement in flasks for torpedoes comprising an air flask having its outer periphery at its after end reduced to form 100 shoulders and the reduced portion threaded,

a flask head formed integral with said air flask at its after end and a water compartment having shoulders adapted to abut against the shoulders of said air flask, the

inner periphery of said water compartment being threaded for engagement with the reduced and threaded portion of the air flask.

4. An improvement in flasks for torpedoes comprising an air flask having its outer 11C periphery at its after end reduced to form shoulders, the reduced pc-rtion'thereof being threaded and one of said shoulders being provided with an annular recess having an inclined wall, and a water compartment having shoulders formed on its inner periphery adjacent the air flask, said inner periphery being threaded for engagement with the reduced and threaded portion of the air flask and one of said shoulders being provided with an annular flange having one of its walls inclined, the shoulders on the air flask and the water compartment being adapted to abut and the annular flange on the shoulder of the water compartment being adapted to nest within the annular recess of the shoulder of the air flask whereby the inclined wall of the flange and recess co-act to draw and hold the parts into their proper relation.

5. An improvement in flasks for torpethreads omitted and a groove formed there- 10 does comprising an air flask having its outer in, the Wall of said groove with the Walls of periphery at its after end reduced and the threads of the air flask defining a packthreaded, and a Water compartment having ing. chamber whereby said Water compart- 5 its inner periphery adjacent the air flask ment may be effectively scaled.

threaded for engagement With the reduced Signed at Washington, 11.,0. this 22nd 15 and threaded portion of the air flask, said day of J an., 1919. threaded portion of the Water compartment ARTHUR HUTCHINSON CHASE. having one or more convolutions of its HARRY LUTHER BOESCH. 

